Second Fatal Victim Identified In Old Sacramento New Year’s Eve Shooting

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has identified the second man who died in a New Year’s Eve gunfight in Old Sacramento.

Gabriel Abel Cordova, 35, of Sacramento was fatally shot during a fight at the Sports Corner Café at 1030 2nd Street on Monday night. He was pronounced dead at 9:52 p.m., according to the coroner’s office.

Gabriel Cordova

Cordova and Daniel Ferrier, 36, of Placerville were allegedly shot by Carlito Montoya, 22, of Sacramento after an altercation in the bar. Cordova’s wife, Christina, 30, also was shot but is expected to survive, according to place of employment. Ferrier was a doorman at the bar who was called in to work that night after another employee was involved in a car accident, Ferrier’s friends said. The Cordovas were bar patrons.

Montoya then reportedly exchanged gunfire with a security guard, Stefan Walton, inside the bar before police converged on Montoya on the street and took him into custody.

Gabriel Cordova leaves behind three children, including an 18-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter.

“He was just loving,” Tyandra Cordova said. “I wish I could see him one more time.”

“My father was a loving man,” Isaiah Cordova said, “and a great father, a great person, always good company. He was never a bad person.”

Isaiah said his father’s tough-guy image wasn’t reality.

“He had a bunch of tattoos,” he said. “You would stereotype him, but once you met him, you’d be like, ‘He’s a good guy, funny.’ He’d keep you up when you were down.”

Daniel Ferrier

Montoya is under police custody at a local hospital receiving treatment for multiple gunshot wounds. Walton is also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. He told CBS13’s Ben Sosenko on Wednesday that he was shot twice but managed to get up and return fire.

The gunfire forced the cancellation of the annual midnight fireworks show and related entertainment at a cost of $65,000 to the city. There were some 30,000 visitors in Old Sac when the gunfight occurred.

The fireworks instead were set off into a sunny sky around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning because the company said it was not safe to try to dismantle them.

Steve anchors the news on CBS13 on the weekends and reports during the week.
He has also worked as a morning anchor/weathercaster at KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, sports director at KVIQ-TV in Eureka, and videographer at KEYT-TV in Santa...